All In Good Time

God’s timing is something that we as people struggle to understand. We all have our own concept of what time means. Everyone has an idea of when they would prefer things to happen in their lives. This is almost always different from when God wants or allows things to unfold in our lives. Patience is most definitely needed to live this life, and long-suffering is the best way to describe the waiting. The one thing that we must learn to embrace is the pace that God moves, and the pace he wants us to live.

There is Always a Waiting Period
It doesn’t matter if you are waiting to find out if you got the job after that big interview or you are heating up the delicious leftovers from last night’s meal in the microwave, we are always waiting for something. Red lights, shipping delays, snail mail, slowly loading websites, doctor’s office visits, being put on hold, and other painful waiting experiences plague us daily. Kids can’t wait to be teenagers and teens can’t wait to be adults. The truth is that nothing ever happens as quickly as we would like it to, and we are always stuck waiting for time to pass.
Advertisers go crazy appealing to this impatient craving in us, with offers that include fast results, time saved, and reduced waiting. Everyone wants everything yesterday, right now, or as soon as possible, no matter what it is. People look for same day delivery, fast service, and instant results at every chance. We want the fastest way to get there on the GPS, the quickest way to drop the weight, and the speediest method the resolving our problems. We favor completion over process, and we are willing to borrow and spend extra money to get the things that we want right now.
Even with all of the technology and conveniences we have in this day and age, we are never satisfied because we still have to wait. Maybe we don’t have to wait as long as we used to for certain things, but there is always a wait. No matter how advanced we become as a society, there will always be a need for patience.

Why God Wants Us to Wait
There is a special work that God can do inside of us while we are waiting for things. The popular saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes your stronger,” has an element of truth to it. Experience teaches us that the issues that we face have the potential to either destroy us or make us better. It is God’s desire to make us better, stronger, and full of character.

Looking into His word, we see that through waiting, God:
Increases our endurance. James 1:2-4 NLT says:
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Going through hard times makes us tougher. We get stronger as we deal with the uncomfortable, difficult, and unexpected. If the Lord did not allow trials in our lives, we would never know what it is like to endure. We could not grow and change if our circumstances were always easy.

Develops our character. Romans 5:3-5 says:
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Compassion, flexibility, patience, integrity, and other attributes of a good character come through experiences. These opportunities to grow can feel rather unpleasant, but in the end, they change you. That change can be for the better if you allow the Lord to shape you when you would rather be selfish, rigid, and satisfied.

Rewards us. Galatians 6:9 NLT says:
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Ultimately, if we allow God to shape our character, we will see the fruits of our discomfort. We can’t give up, however. It is not easy to change, and always doing the right thing can be tiring. We are promised a reward if we endure to the end.

As we wait for God’s timing, we need to ask ourselves:
What are the things that I am enduring right now?
What is God trying to teach me through my current circumstances?
How can I see my current problems as opportunities to grow?
In what areas do I need to show more patience?

Prayerfully consider the answers to these questions. Allow the Lord to stretch and grow you in your unpleasant circumstances. Open your heart to change and growth. Don’t give up, and you will see a harvest of blessings.